Black on the Prairies
EDITORS’ LETTER
April 25, 2021Black on the Prairies
EDITORS’ LETTER
What does it mean to be Black in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba? It is impossible to limit more than 200 years of recorded Black presence on the Prairies to a single definition.
The CBC project Black on the Prairies began with a conversation among colleagues in the spring of 2020. The Prairies, like the rest of the country, were gripped by the rallying cry of “Black Lives Matter.”
That conversation revealed a mutual desire to share the fullness of Black life on the Prairies. These stories are vital and urgent, especially during what the United Nations has labelled the International Decade for People of African Descent.
This project does not position the Prairies as Black ancestral territory or homelands. To be Black on the Prairies is to be part of a colonial legacy that begins on the ancestral lands of the First Nations and Métis people of this region. We aim to recognize Black and Indigenous peoples’ shared histories and affirm our ongoing relationships.
Through five themes — , , , , and — this project places Black people's experiences at the centre of the Prairie narrative.
These stories explore the richness, complexity, depth and multiplicity of Black Prairie life — past, present and future. They highlight achievements and histories that affirm the influence of Black life on the Prairies and challenge assumptions about its newness.
Bringing this project to life involved contributions from a 10-person community advisory board. They shared insights, curiosities and perspectives, ensuring that Black on the Prairies authentically represents a diversity of experiences and histories. To them, we are incredibly grateful.
In this project, you will find personal essays, articles, audio stories, images and more. We invite you to enter through any door.
Welcome to Black on the Prairies.
Omayra Issa & Ify Chiwetelu
Black On The Prairies creators and project leads
Migration
We explore the arrivals, and movement, of Black people across the Prairies.
We came to this sunny Alberta … not as peons, not as a subject race. … We feel that our gentlemen and ladies are able to compete with the white ladies and gentlemen of this country.
Putting in Work
We highlight the contributions and impact of Black people in the workforce of the Prairies.
“This man, who I am calling a pioneer designer for the Black Prairies, left a mark that says despite any box you force me into, I have made myself free and will not be entangled in the yoke of your bondage again.”
Black and Indigenous Relations
Relations between Indigenous and Black people are rich and long-standing on the Prairies. We bring you stories of solidarity, disconnection and everything in between.
“My daughter Isabella is a curly-haired Black-Inninew-Anishinaabe. She will be the puffy-headed kid running around at the powwow.”
Politics and Resistance
From early community initiatives to recent Black Lives Matter protests, we examine the impact and legacy of Black resistance on the Prairies.
Black to the Future
The Prairies have Canada’s fastest growing Black population. We imagine futures where Blackness is at the centre of the Prairie social fabric.
“It is not only Black students who are robbed when the richness of their histories is excised from the history books; all of us are deprived when the full complexity of our collective history is denied us because it cheats us of a full understanding of our own present moment.”
COMMUNITY
ADVISORY BOARD
Thank you to the Black on the Prairies Community Advisory Board for their support and guidance
Tasha Beeds
kôhkom, Mide Kwe, Water Walker and Indigenous Studies Professor
Heaven Berhe
Student, Saskatchewan
Melissa Brown
Business Owner, Manitoba
Mahlet Cuff
Interdisciplinary Artist, Community Organizer, Manitoba
Dieulita Datus
Community Organizer, Alberta
Cheryl Foggo
Playwright, Author, Filmmaker, Alberta
Crystal Mayes
Nurse and Business Owner, Saskatchewan
Malinda Smith
Vice-Provost Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, University of Calgary, Alberta
Titilope Sonuga
Writer and Performer, Alberta
Judy White
Professor Emerita, University of Regina, Saskatchewan
If you’ve enjoyed Black on the Prairies, please take a moment to share it. If you have thoughts you’d like to share with us, email BlackPrairies@cbc.ca. For more stories about the experiences of Black people across Canada, check out Being Black in Canada.
Black on the Prairies
Credits
Creators, Producers
Omayra Issa & Ify Chiwetelu
Associate Producer, Researcher, Audio Lead
Melissa Fundira
Associate Producer
Orinthia Babb
Designed by Andrew McManus
Developed by Dwight Friesen
Special Thanks
David Hutton
Lise Kouri
Heather Loughran
Natascia Lypny
Emily Mills
Sean Trembath
Karin Yeske
With support from CBC Calgary, CBC Edmonton, CBC Saskatoon, CBC Saskatchewan and CBC Manitoba